Door-operating mechanism



Feb. 17, 1931. OCONNQR 1,793,125

' noon OPERATINGMEQHANISM Filed April 9, 1928 Int/a Jaflnifl 62727101Patented Feb. 17, 1931 warren stares PATENT orrlce JOHN F. OCONNOR, FCIEICAGG, ILLENOIS, ASSIG NOR T0 W. H. MINER, 1110., OF CHICAGO,ILLINGIS, A. CQRPORATEON OF DELAW'ARE DOOB-QPEBATING MECHANISMApplication filed April 9,

so that the door opening will be entirely clear of obstructions so thatthere will be no interterence when loading or unloading the cars.

Another object of the invention is to provide a door operatingmechanism, especially adapted for refrigerator car doors which arehinged to the door frame, including a keeper mounted on the door and aco-operating op crating member mounted on the door frame,

wherein the operating member is displaceable to clear the door and dooropening when the door is in open position.

Other and further objects of the invention 7 will moreclearly appearfrom the description and claims hereinafter following,

In the drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is aside elevational view of a portion of the side wall of a refrigeratorcar showing the door of the same and illustrating my improvements inconnection therewith. Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional View,corresponding substantially to the line 2-2 of Figure 1. And Figures 3and i are vertical sectional views on the lines 33 and H, respectively,of Figure 1.

In said drawings, 10 designates the side wall of a refrigerator car, and11 the door frame. A swinging or hinged door is designated by 12, thesame being hinged to the innor side of the side wall of the car so thatthe same swings inwardly in the opening movement. As shown in Figure 2,the door is supported by the usual hinge members indicated by 13. Thedoor is'provided with the usual handle members'la, by which it may bemanually operated. The top, bottom,'and side edges of the door areprovided with the usual 1 insulating material which is commonly employedin connection with refrigerator car doors. As shown, the co-operatingedge portions at the free side of the door and the door frame arebeveled, as indicated at 15, so

as to provide a tight joint by a wedging action when the door is closed.It will be noted that the beveled portions are so arranged that the door12 must open inwardly.

My improved door operating mechanism comprises, broadly, a supportingbracket A,

a slide B, rotary operating means C, and a keeper D. I h

The support A is in the form of a platelike member having alongitudinally disposed central guideopening 16. The plate like memberis secured to the side wall of the car on the outer side of the same,and the side wall of the ca is recessed, as indicated at 17, to providea guideway beneath the supporting plate A. The plate may be secured tothe side wall of the car by any suitable means. and, as herein shown, isfixed by-a plurality of screws.

The slide B comprises a bottom platelike section 18, which is mounted inthe recess 17 and beneath the side portions of the platelike support A.The plate 18 is provided with an outstanding bearing sleeve-like section19 which extends outwardly beyond the supporting plate A and is guidedbetween the top and bottom sections of said plate, as most 8 clearlyshown in Figures 1 and 4;. The projection portion 19 of the slide Bprovides a bearing member in which the rotary operating means isjournaled. The rotary operating means C Comprises an operating lever 20.having a cylindrical extension 21 at one end thereof, which projectslaterally and is journaled in the bearing 19.

In order to prevent removal of the cylindrical member from the journalbearing 19, the outer end of the member 21 may be upset, as indicated inFigure 1.

At the same end of the lever 20 which carries the bearing member 21, thelever is 96 provided with an oiiset section 22 which forms a crank arm,the offset section 22 being provided at its free end, with a laterallyextended cylindrical portion 23 which is pt d o c pe ate with the ke perin the opening and closing movements of the door, as hereinafter moreclearly pointed out.

The keeper D comprises a plate-like sec ion 2* which is secured to theouter side of he door, and an tapstanding hood-like seeion 25, which isprovided with inner and outer walls 26 and 2'4", which adapted toco-operate with the member 23 of the operating mechanism. As shown, thewall 26 of the keeper is substantially flat and prwsents a verticalinner face. Tl e wall 237, which is the front wall of the keeper, hasthe lower end portion thereof vertically disposed, the upper section ofthe same being curred inwardly and connecting with the top wall of thekeeper,

As shown in full lines Figure 3, the engag ing member 23 of the rotarydoor operating neans is adapted to engage with the keeper D when thedoor is substantially closed, and is disengaged therefrom when moved tothe dotted line position in opening the door. In asmuch as the slide iton which the rotary operating means is mounted is slidable laterally,the operating means may be moved bodily to the left, as shown in Figure1, to clear the door opening, and may be returned to the position shownin Figure 1 to be engaged with the keeper in the door closing operation.

Assuming that the door is closed, and it is desired to force the sameopen, the operating means being in its extreme riuht-hand posi tlon asshown in the drawing in Figures 1 and 2, with the engaging member 23engaging the wall 27 of the keeper, as shown in Fig. 3.

The lever 20 is rotated by raising the same, thereby rotating the crank22 in a clockwise direction, as shown in Figure 3, and bringing theengaging portion 23 thereof into abutwith the wall 26 of the keeper,whereupon further swinging movement of the lever 20 and rotation of theoperating means will force the engaging element or member 3 inwardlyagainst the wall 26, thereby forcing the door open and finallydisengaging the member from the keeper, as shown in the dotted lines inFigure 3. When the door has thus been forced open, the operatingmechanism C is moved to the left, so that the engagportion 23 will clearthe door opening. Tl is will )ermit free passage through the oor openingwithout interference. The door may then be swung to its full openposition.

In closing the door 12, the same is swung partly closed, so that thebeveled edges of the door 12 and the frame will he in close proximityand the keeper D in such a position that it may be engaged by theoperating means. Vith the parts in this position and the operatingmechanism in its left-hand position where it clears the keeper, thelever 20 is raised so as to rotate the operating means to the dottedline position illustrated in Figure 3, whereupon the entire operatingmeans C is slid to its extreme right-hand position wherein the engagingmember 23 of the same will properly co-operate with the keeper D. .Vhenthe parts have assumed this position, the lever 20 is swung downwardly,thereby rotating the operating means and swinging the engaging member 23thereof from the dotted line position of Figure 3 to the full lineposition shown in said figure. In swinging the lever as thus pointedout, the operating member 23 will engage the outer wall 27 of thekeeper, thereby pulling the door outwardly and forcing the same totightly closed position.

In order to lock the parts in position when the door has been closed, Iprovide the usual car door locking means comprising a bracket 28 fixedto the door, the bracket having an upstanding car seal receiving tongue29 which is adapted to enter a slot 30 in a lateral extension 31 on theoperating lever. As shown in Figure 3. the tongue 29 projects entirelythrough the operating lever and is provided with a car seal receivingopening 30 at the outer end thereof. .Vhen the door has been closed andthe lever is in the position shown in Figure 3 the car seal may beapplied to the opening 30 in the usual manner.

Although the rotary operating means of the operating mechanism has beenherein illustrated as mounted on the door frame and the keeper asmounted on the door, it will be evident that it is within the inventionto reverse the parts, that is, that the keeper may be mounted on thedoor frame and the rotary operating means on the door, without anymaterial alteration of the parts of the mechanism. It is further pointedout that it is extremely important in door operating devices, whereinthe door opens inwardly, that a simple and efficient means he providedfor forcing the door tightly closed or to force the same open, whichwill not interfere with the free opening and closing movements of thedoor.

From the preceding description, taken in connection with the drawings,it will be evident that the improved mechanism accomplishes the desiredresults pointed out, and that by providing the sliding arrangement ofthe rotary operating means the same may be displaced to an inoperativeposition, where it entirely clears the side wall of the door frameopening so as to not interfere with the opening and closing movements ofthe door.

l l hile I have herein shown and described what I consider the preferredmanner of carrying out my invention, the same is merely illustrative andI contemplate all changes and modifications which come within the scopeof the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In a door operating and locking mechanism for refrigerator car doors,including a frame member having a door opening there in and a hingeddoor member for closing said opening, the combination with keeper meansmounted on said door member adjacent one edge thereof, said keeper meanshaving abutment wall portions; of co -operating lever actuated cam meanson the frame member engagea lo with the abutment wall portions of thekeeper means, saio lever actuated cam means when actuated while engagedwith said keeper means forcing said door either open or closed,depending upon the direction of rotation of the lever, said cam being ongageable \vi thand disengageable from said keeper by swinging movementof the lever, one of said means being isplaeeable-c inwardly of themember on which it is mounted, to inoperative position, to clear thekeeper and theadjacent wall of the door opening.

2. In a door operating and looking mechanism for refrigerator cars,including a frame member having a door opening therein and a:

door hinged to said frame member to swing inwardly of the'car whenopened, the combination with a keeper means mounted on said door of aco-operating actuating means mounted on the frame member normallyprojected beyond said frame member and adapted to engage the keepermeans to force the door either open or closed, said actuating meansbeing engageable and completely disengageable from said keeper whileprojected, said operating means being displaceable inwardly of the framemember to clear the keeper and door opening.

3. In a door operating and locking mech-.

anism for refrigerator car doors, including a frame member having a dooropening therein and a hinged door member for closing said opening, thecombination with a keeper mounted on one of said members adjacent oneedge thereof; of co-operating actuating means including a supportslidably mounted on the other member, rotary operating means mounted onsaid support and having keeper engaging means thereon, adapted toco-operate with the keeper to force the door either open or closed,depending upon the direction 7 of rotation of said operating means.

t. In a door operating and locking mechanism for refrigerator car doors,including a frame member having a door opening therein and a hinged doormember for closing said opening, the combination with a keeper ele menthaving spaced walls thereon, said keeper element being fixed to one ofsaid members; of operating lever having an offset extension adapted toco-operate with the keeper element, said lever being rotatably mountedon a support; and means for slidably carrying said support, said meansbeing fixed to the door frame.

5. In a door operating mechanism for refrigerator car doors, including adoor frame having a. door opening therein and a hinged door for closingsaid opening,said' door being hinged so as to swing inwardly of the carduring the opening movement of the same, the combination with a keeperelement secured to the door; of a supporting bracket fixed to the doorframe; and operating means slidably mounted on the supporting member soas to be movable toward and away from said keeper, said operating meansbeing displaceable to an inoperative position, where it clears thekeeper so that the door may be swung freely inwardly of the car, saidoperating means having a rotary keeper engaging member thereon, adaptedto engage the keeper to force the door either open or tightly closed,and operating lever means for rotating said member. 7

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed mynamethis 6th day of April, 1928.

JOHN F. OCONNOR.

